Poll: Cheney's approval ratings rise

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who in defending the Bush administration’s record has become one of the Obama administration’s toughest GOP critics, is enjoying a rise in popularity, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research poll released Thursday.

The survey showed Cheney’s favorability rating spiking 8 percentage points since he left office in January, increasing from 29 percent to 37 percent.

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But CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said the rise probably is not related to Cheney’s opposition to the Obama administration’s national security policies.

“Is Cheney’s uptick due to his visibility as one of the most outspoken critics of the Obama administration? Almost certainly not,” Holland told CNN. “Former President George W. Bush’s favorable rating rose 6 points in that same time period, and Bush has not given a single public speech since he left office,” Holland said.